Sir Robert May, chief scientific adviser to the government, has been nominated for the office of president of the Royal Society by the Royal Society's council. If successful in April's election, he will succeed Sir Aaron Klug in the autumn.
Bob Fryer, director of distributed learning at Ufi, the company behind learndirect, has been appointed director of policy and external relations.
Dave Prentis, deputy general secretary of public service union Unison since its formation in 1993, has been elected general secretary of Unison. He will take over from Rodney Bickerstaffe, who retires at the end of this year.
Richard Brook, who is on leave of absence from Oxford University, where he is Cookson professor and professor of materials science, has had his appointment as chief executive and deputy chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council extended to September next year. He has held the post since the council was formed in 1994.
David Secher, former director of drug development at the Cancer Research Campaign, has been named director of research services at the University of Cambridge.
Mark Hanson, former professor of foetal and neonatal physiology at University College London, has been appointed leader of the new Centre for Foetal Origins of Adult Disease at the University of Southampton.
Darren Sproston, former head of music and assistant head of performing arts at Rowley Regis College, West Midlands, has been appointed head of music at the University of Wolverhampton.